Finland is a land of striking contrasts: four completely different seasons, polar night and midnight sun, vibrant cities and quiet countryside. At the same time, it is a highly developed country, which, in terms of economic indicators, as well as the level of development of public transport, is ahead of many countries of the world. For example, buses in Finland make it possible to easily get to any city or town in the country.
Transport links in Finland
Public transport is varied. Buses, trams, metro, commuter trains and ferries transport tens of millions of local residents and visitors every year. The network of bus routes connects almost all settlements in Finland, forms the basis of intracity transport, and also connects the country with the Russian Federation, Sweden and the capital of Norway - Oslo.
The bus is a favorite means of transportation for locals. Almost every city in Finland has a bus station, which is most often located near the railway.
Bus routes vary in length, with most intercity routes spanning considerable distances, for example, from Helsinki to Oulu (about 9 hours on the way) or from Turku to Rovaniemi (about 15 hours).
The main distinguishing feature of Finnish intercity buses is punctuality.
A detailed timetable for the movement of city buses is available at each bus stop, so it is easy for foreigners to use this type of transport.
Tourists and other guests of the country of Suomi should take into account several important points:
- a tourist can stop a bus in the same way as a tram, with a wave of his hand;
- the bus is entered through the front door;
- you need to buy a ticket from the driver or show him an already valid one;
- if during the trip you use the same bus route, you can use the printouts of the bus schedule that are behind the driver's back - you can take them with you;
- if you want to get off at the nearest stop, you need to press the button on the handrail in the bus;
- buses start at 6.00 and finish at about midnight. On some routes, buses run even after midnight - they are marked with the letter N;
- on night routes there is a night tariff - double the cost of the ticket or an additional payment to the already purchased one. For example, in Helsinki, night buses leave from the station square every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. They run from 1.00 am until the morning with an interval of about 30 minutes. The layouts of stops and bus routes at Kamppi and railway stations can be found here.
Bus companies in Finland
There are several shipping companies operating within the country. These are ExpressBus, Matkahuolto and Onnibus.
Companies | Description |
|---|---|
| ExpressBus Phone: + (358 9) 200-40-00 | The company provides intercity and international transportation. This brand unites 23 companies that operate throughout Finland. In addition to transporting passengers, the company also carries out the transportation of goods. About 700 long-distance buses leave from the terminal in Kamppi every day. From the Russian Federation to Finland, buses leave every morning from St. Petersburg. The route passes through Vyborg, Helsinki (Vantaa) airport and other cities in Finland. Buses also run from St. Petersburg to Lappeenranta, Turku and Jyväskylä. |
| Matkahuolto Head office address: Lauttasaarentie 8, P.O. Box 111, FI-00201 Helsinki, Finland | The main activity of the company is aimed at organizing passenger transportation and delivery of parcels and goods. The company's first bus stations were built in 1929 in Tampere and Hämeenlinna at Shell Oy and Nobel-Standard (Esso) Oy filling stations. Bus stations were then quickly built by local Linja-autoliitto branches in Helsinki, Viipuri, Porvoo, Loviisa, Lohja, Lappeenranta and Imatra. Today Oy Matkahuolto Ab promotes the development of public transport in the country, develops and provides new products and services related to bus travel. |
| Onnibus For more details, follow the link | An economy class company that deals with passenger transportation. It is the youngest company on the market, founded in 2012. In 2014, the Scottish millionaire Brian Suter joined the ranks of its owners, thanks to whom the company's fleet was replenished with new 2-story buses. In 2014, due to conflicts of some carriers with a low-cost airline, a new company, OniExpress, was founded. During the litigation, the company managed to retain the Onnibus name and continue to operate on the market. In 2017, the company closed its offices in Joensuu and Seinäjoki. |
Main routes
There are 2 types of intercity vehicles in Finland:
- vakipvuorot - regular buses (they run constantly with many stops in cities and villages);
- pikavuorot - regular buses, or express trains (run between major cities of the country).
There are no minibuses on the routes - there are large buses, most often 2-storey buses.
Depending on the distance between cities, crossings can be very tiring, as the journey can take up to 15 hours.
Route name | Description |
|---|---|
Helsinki - Porvoo | Porvoo is a very picturesque town: small houses, cobbled streets, green parks and many bridges. The trip will take no more than 60 minutes. On the website of the low-cost airline Onnibus, you can buy a ticket for 2-4 euros, and on the Matkahuolto website for 8-12 euros. |
Porvoo - Kotka | The direction of the trip is similar to the previous route, only the city of Kotka is closer to the border with the Russian Federation. For nature lovers, this is the ideal holiday destination. There are about 15 parks here, which turn into a real fairy tale in spring, and on the seaside you can breathe fresh air and spend a romantic weekend. On the website of the low-cost airline Onnibus, the ticket price is 4 euros (sometimes there are tickets for 2 euros), and on the Matkahuolto website - 5 euros. |
Helsinki - Turku | Moving from the capital to Turku takes about 2 hours. Turku is a port city where you can admire the sea and visit the Forum Marinum (State Maritime Museum), Turku Castle and the Cathedral. On the website of the low-cost airline Onnibus, you can buy a ticket for 1-9 euros, on the Matkahuolto website - for 5-14 euros, on the ExpressBus website - for 5-10 euros. |
Turku - Tampere | Tampere can be reached from Turku or Helsinki. The cost of tickets will be approximately the same, and the travel time will be about 2.5 hours. Tampere is the third largest city in Finland and a major industrial center. The city has the opportunity to visit the espionage museum, book a lakeside cruise or organize a picnic on Viikinsaar Island. On the website of the low-cost airline Onnibus, you can buy a ticket for 5-7 euros, on the Matkahuolto website - for 2-11 euros, on the ExpressBus website - for 2-9 euros. |
Turku - Pori | If the journey starts from Helsinki, it will take about 4 hours to get there, from Turku a little less - about 2.5 hours. In Pori, the Yteri Coastal Park and the old fishing village on Reposaari Island are worth a visit. On the website of the low-cost airline Onnibus, the price of a ticket from Helsinki is 14.90 euros (sometimes tickets are on sale for 5 euros), on the Matkahuolto website - 8-15 euros. On the website of the low-cost airline Onnibus, the price of a ticket from Turku is 5 euros (sometimes there are tickets for 3.50 euros), on the Matkahuolto website - 10-15 euros (you can also buy tickets at the ticket office of the bus station). |
Turku - Rauma | Rauma is one of the oldest cities in Finland. This is the center of Finnish lace making. The most beautiful building in the city is the Franciscan Church of the Holy Cross. Travel time to the city will be 1.5 hours. On the website of the low-cost airline Onnibus, a ticket from Turku costs 5-7 euros. |
Helsinki - Mikkeli | In the city of Mikkeli, street names are duplicated in Russian.Various festivals and exhibitions are regularly held here, which is why art lovers come here. A ticket to the entertainment center also gives you the opportunity to visit the water park, wax museum and vintage car exhibition. Travel time will be 2.5 hours. On the website of the low-cost airline Onnibus, you can buy a ticket for 5-14 euros, on the website Matkahuolto - for 5-9 euros. |
Mikkeli - Savonlinna | Savonlinna is a local gem, which is called “the Finnish Venice”. Its main attraction is the medieval Olavinlinna Castle, which is located right in the center of the lake. On the Onnibus website, the ticket price is 3 euros, on the Matkahuolto website - 5-6 euros. |
Helsinki - Rovaniemi | This bus route is the longest and most expensive. The city of Rovaniemi is located on the line of the Arctic Circle, so in its vicinity there is an opportunity to admire the northern lights. Rovaniemi is the residence of the Finnish Santa Claus Joulupukki. The journey takes 11-13 hours. Ticket prices depend on the season. On the website of the low-cost airline Onnibus, you can buy a ticket for 35-40 euros, on the website Matkahuolto - for 80 euros. |
Kotka - Karhula | Kotka is the oldest city located near the border with the Russian Federation. This is a city of parks. The Kotka - Karhula route is designed for shoppers. In the suburb of Kotka - Karhula - there is a huge shopping center with many shops. There are also kirputoria - Finnish second-hand shops. The main attractions of Karhule are the windmill and water tower. Karhule is located 7 km from Kotka, so you can get to it by bus in just 20-25 minutes. Tickets cost up to 4 euros. |
Travel fares and discounts
Each company in Finland has its own fares and travel cards. A regular paper one-way ticket can be purchased from Matkahuolto's offices. But if you are planning frequent trips, it is better to purchase a travel card. A travel pass is a plastic card to which funds are credited and then debited after each trip. The cost is 6.50 euros.
For tourists, a Bus Pass is provided. Its validity period is from 7 to 14 days on all bus routes, except for flights to Helsinki and Turku.
The day of purchase of the pass is not taken into account, and the cost for 7 and 14 days reaches 149 and 249 euros, respectively.
Types of travel cards | Description |
|---|---|
Bus pass | Allows you to make an unlimited number of trips throughout Finland, except for Helsinki and Turku, for a week (149 euros) or 2 weeks (249 euros). |
Regional | Allows you to make an unlimited number of trips within one region (you need to choose 1 out of forty possible regions in Finland in advance) within 30 days. The savings are 50%. |
City city | It gives the opportunity to travel between 2 settlements. The pass is valid for 120 days and costs 240 euros. The number of trips depends on the selected flight (from 8 to 36). There are only 16 trips available on the Helsinki – Tampere or Helsinki – Turku route. |
Discounts are available for children, students, retirees, conscripts and civil servants. Discounts are available if you choose routes over 80 km:
- when purchasing a round-trip ticket - 10%;
- when purchasing a ticket for 3 people - 25%;
- when purchasing a ticket for teenagers (up to 16 years old) - 30%;
- when purchasing a ticket for children (up to 11 years old) - 50%;
- for students presenting ISIC, there is a 50% discount.
The main rule of Onnibus is low ticket prices. This company has prepared different types of tickets for potential passengers:
| Types of tickets | Description |
|---|---|
Peruslippu | A regular ticket, the cost of which on the Internet is 3 euros, for the driver - from 15 to 20 euros. |
Patkalippu | The ticket is intended for travel up to 100 km - from Tampere to Pori (6 euros), from Turku to Helsinki (10 euros) or up to 65 km from Tampere to Helsinki (10 euros). |
Kontalippu | The personal ticket is for unlimited travel for 30 days. |
Arkilipulla | The ticket is intended for travel on weekdays from Tampere to Pori or Hämeenlinna (130 euros) or from Tampere and Turku to Helsinki (290 euros). |
Finally
Buses in Finland compete with another type of public transport - trains. At the same time, the bus has undeniable advantages:
- it is the only mode of transport available in the north of the country;
- buses run much more often than trains;
- the bus fare is much lower.
In addition, a tourist can independently choose a route that includes even the smallest settlements.
